Views of the Museum of Amana History buildings, including the front
and rear of the Schoolhouse, the Noé House, and WashhousePhotographs
by Shannon Bell

The Museum of Amana History is comprised of three 19th-century buildings,
consisting of the Noé House, the Schoolhouse and the Woodshed/Washhouse.
The buildings are used to interpret communal life in the Amana Colonies.
The Amana Society was one of many utopian communities founded in the
United States during the 19th century. The Noé House, built in 1864
of locally produced brick, was originally a communal kitchen and later
a doctor's residence. The original woodshed/washhouse still stands just
to the south of the Noé House. The schoolhouse, built in 1870, operated
as a school until 1954 after which it served as the Amana Post Office
and a Sunday School. It has been part of the Museum of Amana History
since 1976.

Noé
house, c.1890s, when it was a used as a kitchen Photograph
courtesy of the Amana Heritage Society

Exhibits in the Noé House trace the history and development of the
Amana Colonies, depict a church interior, and display the varied crafts
and industries of the Inspirationists. Temporary exhibits and special
programs focus on particular aspects of Amana's culture. The Schoolhouse
contains exhibits pertaining to Christmas in communal Amana, the Kinderschule,
toys, handwork, carpet weaving, and a school display. An audio-visual
presentation on Amana's history is shown regularly in the Schoolhouse.
The woodshed/washhouse contains wine-making and gardening displays.

The Museum of Amana History is located at 4310 220th Trail, in Amana.
The museum, operated by the
Amama Heritage Society, offers a 20-minute, award-winning slide
presentation shown regularly during museum hours. It is open 10:00am
to 5:00pm Monday-Saturday; 12:00pm to 5:00pm Sunday, from April 1-October
31. Open Saturdays in February, March, November and December. There
is an admission fee. Call 319-622-3567 for further information.